Scat Daddy signing off in style as final two-year-olds take flight

The last hurrah for Scat Daddy two-year-olds is being heard loud and clear, with four winners in Europe already this season including one – wide-margin Navan scorer Sergei Prokofiev – who is the clear ante-post favourite for the Coventry Stakes next month.

Exciting winners So Perfect and Van Beethoven, stablemates to Sergei Prokofiev at Ballydoyle, could also extend Scat Daddy's outstanding record with juveniles at Royal Ascot set by Acapulco, Caravaggio, Lady Aurelia, No Nay Never and Sioux Nation.

Skitter Scatter, the Patrick Prendergast-trained filly who bravely held off Sergei Prokofiev when she broke her maiden at Dundalk last month, surely has more to come too.

The late Scat Daddy also has a number of two-year-old winners in waiting; California Daddy, runner-up to Van Beethoven on his sole start for Ger Lyons, and Empire State, a keeping-on third for Aidan O'Brien at Dundalk this month, for example.

Those six horses are among only seven runners in Europe from the last crop of Scat Daddy so far. Even the one unplaced runner, the O'Brien-trained Gossamer Wings, gave cause for encouragement despite finishing seventh on her debut at the Curragh as she was slow away and made some nice progress in the closing stages of the race.

O'Brien's principal owners Coolmore have unsurprisingly attempted to corner the market in the best of those final Scat Daddy juveniles. Not only do they own five of the above-named seven starters, but they have more Scat Daddy cadets prepared for battle.

Isle Of Innisfree, a brother to last year's Norfolk Stakes winner Sioux Nation, holds an entry to make his debut at Cork on Friday, while there is also Mount Tabora, a half-brother to high-class fillies Chachamaidee and J Wonder knocked down to Mayfair Speculators as a yearling for $750,000; Bechstein, a son of a winning three-parts sister to Kris Kin who cost $500,000; and Symphony Orchestra, a $300,000 colt.

Another Scat Daddy yearling purchased by Coolmore in 2017 – the $300,000 colt out of Charming Thunder, a granddaughter of Grade 1 winner Tout Charmant – is registered by Weatherbys as in training with Richard Hannon.

Coolmore's Scat Daddy collection has also grown after the breeze-ups, with a sale-topping €825,000 paid for a half-brother to Grade 2-placed Carried Interest at Arqana on Saturday and colts out of Risky Rachel and Lauded bought for $1 million and 775,000gns at Florida and Tattersalls in recent weeks.

Finding a high-class colt by Scat Daddy will be like hitting the jackpot, as his sons will be highly sought after to continue a line that was just hitting peak popularity when the stallion died suddenly in December 2015 – hence Coolmore betting the house on his stock. The best performing Scat Daddy fillies will also carry a premium due to their rarity value if they come up for resale.

The emerging spending force of Phoenix Thoroughbreds has a pressing need to make profit for its investors and so has also pursued Scat Daddy's final crop, with many of its purchases based in Europe.

They include Dearly Beloved, a $1m filly out of a three-parts sister to Grade 3 winner Golden Mystery with Karl Burke; a $950,000 colt out of a half-sister to the classy Tejida with Martyn Meade; and an $875,000 half-sister to Grade 3 scorer Sharp Sensation with Ed Vaughan.

Ed Dunlop is the custodian of at least three Scat Daddy juveniles according to Weatherbys, including two who carry the 'Global' marque of owner Dr Johnny Hon – they are Global Prospector, a brother to the smart Dali who cost 800,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale, and Global Myth, a colt out of the Listed-placed Excelente bought for €320,000 as a yearling at Arqana.

Khanmurjan, a colt out of the winning Montjeu mare Late Day Sun, is also resident at Dunlop's La Grange Stables after being sourced for 130,000gns at Book 1.

Charlie Appleby has a pair of Scat Daddy two-year-olds for Godolphin – a colt out of Practice (cost $800,000) and a filly out of Sure Route (€360,000) – while Richard Hughes also has two by the sire in his care in Scat King, a colt out of Cheveley Park Stakes fourth Come To Heel bought for £110,000, and Scatterbrained, a Scat Daddy half-brother to Sussex Stakes third Darwin.

With four exciting winners already under his belt and so many well-bred horses with top trainers, the Scat Daddy story looks certain to end not with a whimper but a bang.

Scat Daddy two-year-olds in training in Europe according to Weatherbys and France Galop

Winners

Sergei Prokofiev (Aidan O'Brien)
b c ex Orchard Beach by Tapit

Skitter Scatter (Patrick Prendergast)
b f ex Dane Street by Street Cry

So Perfect (Aidan O'Brien)
b f ex Hopeoverexperience by Songandaprayer

Van Beethoven (Aidan O'Brien)
b c ex My Sister Sandy by Montbrook

Placed horses

California Daddy (Ger Lyons)
ch c ex Sulis by Maria's Mon

Empire State (Aidan O'Brien/Coolmore)
b c ex Love's Blush by Not For Love

Unplaced horse

Gossamer Wings (Aidan O'Brien)
b f ex Lavender Baby by Rubiano

Unraced horses

Alone Queen (Mark Johnston)
ch f ex Global Finance by End Sweep

Bechstein (Aidan O'Brien)
b c ex Dreams Of Fire by Dynaformer

Bila Shak (George Peckham)
b c ex Dancing Trieste by Old Trieste

Brenbar (Ralph Smith)
b/br c ex Pretty Elusive by Elusive Quality

Dearly Beloved (Karl Burke)
b f ex Beloveda by Ghostzapper

Dr Jekyll (David Simcock)
b c ex Similu by Danehill Dancer

Federal Law (Archie Watson)
b c ex Gravelly Bay by Strong Hope

Global Myth (Ed Dunlop)
b c ex Excelente by Exceed And Excel

Global Prospector (Ed Dunlop)
b/br c ex Alegendinmyownmind by Cape Cross

Isle Of Innisfree (Aidan O'Brien)
b c ex Dream The Blues by Oasis Dream

Khanmurjan (Ed Dunlop)
b c ex Late Day Sun by Montjeu

Legends Of War (John Gosden)
b c ex Madera Dancer by Rahy

Mount Tabora (Aidan O'Brien)
b c ex Canterbury Lace by Danehill

Scat King (Richard Hughes)
b c ex Come To Heel by Elnadim

Scatterbrained (Richard Hughes)
ch c ex Cool Ghoul by Silver Ghost

Seven For A Pound (Richard Fahey)
b c ex Gimlet Witha Twist by Tale Of The Cat

Symphony Orchestra (Aidan O'Brien)
b c ex Bailzee by Grand Slam

Unnamed (Ed Vaughan)
b/br f ex Accusation by Royal Academy

Unnamed (Martyn Meade)
b/br f ex Auction by Mr Greeley

Unnamed (Richard Hannon)
b c ex Charming Thunder by Thunder Gulch

Unnamed (Roger Varian)
b f ex Entwine by Empire Maker

Unnamed (Kevin Ryan)
b/br c ex Ghost Galaxy by Ghostzapper

Unnamed (Ed Vaughan)
ch c ex Miss Lamour by Mr Greeley

Unnamed (Eoghan O'Neill)
b c ex Obsequious by Fusaichi Pegasus

Unnamed (Charlie Appleby)
b c ex Practice by Smart Strike

Unnamed (William Haggas)
b/br f ex Secret Charm by Green Desert

Unnamed (Martyn Meade)
b/br f ex Secret Dream by Zafonic

Unnamed (Charlie Appleby)
ch f ex Sure Route by Ishiguru

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